Telstra's ADSL Wholesale Price Declared

For years, ISPs have complained about Telstra's ADSL wholesale practices. Now the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has made a ruling, "declaring" Telstra's wholesale ADSL prices.

What "declaring" means in this context is that the prices Telstra can charge its wholesale customers will be regulated in the run-up to the build of the National Broadband Network. An interim one-year declaration will be made ahead of a longer term five-year declaration of the prices that Telstra can charge its wholesalers.

The Australian reports on the move, quoting an unnamed Telstra representative as saying that it did

not believe that market conditions justify increased regulation of Telstra's copper network at this time.

Optus, not surprisingly, is happy with the decision; the report quotes Optus chief executive Paul O'Sullivan as stating that

We think it will stop the incumbent from playing games with access for third parties.

What this doesn't mean is that (unlike, say, interest rate hikes) you'll pay less for your ADSL straight away; the report notes that most carrier contracts won't fall due for renewal until July.
[The Australian]